October 19th 2024.
Kyren Wilson, the reigning World Champion, has been reflecting on his incredible journey to lifting the prestigious trophy in May. As he basks in the glory of his victory, he has received valuable advice from former world champions on how to handle life as the Crucible king.
The Warrior, as he is known in the snooker world, defeated surprise finalist Jak Jones in the final in Sheffield to claim his first ever World Championship title. And it seems that his success has carried over into the new season, as he also won the Xi'an Grand Prix in August, beating the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump on his way to the title.
As he continues to bask in the excitement of being the world champion, Kyren is well aware that there will be many challenges ahead. In fact, he has already received helpful words of wisdom from two former Crucible champions, Peter Ebdon and Stuart Bingham, who are also good friends of his.
"Peter said that at some point, you have to learn to say no to certain things and focus on yourself and your snooker career. Stuart, on the other hand, reminded me that it's natural for my game to suffer a bit due to the demands of being a world champion. I have to accept that and not try to commit to everything."
Thankfully, Kyren's early success as the world champ has taken some pressure off his shoulders. He admits that things were quite hectic right after his victory, but now things have settled down a bit and he is enjoying the role of being a good ambassador and role model for the sport.
But as he looks ahead to his return to the Crucible for next year's World Championship, Kyren reveals that he's already thinking about defending his title and breaking the infamous Crucible Curse.
"I was already thinking about it during the semi-finals of this year's tournament," he confesses. "I've had such a good and consistent record at the Crucible that I feel confident in my ability to deal with any situation that may arise. I'll give it my all and I truly believe that I have a good chance of doing it again."
Despite winning the ultimate prize in snooker, Kyren's recent triumph at the Xi'an Grand Prix has further solidified his status among the sport's elite players. He may have taken a break from practice to enjoy a holiday after his win, but he's now fully focused on winning more titles.
"Beating the likes of Ronnie and Judd, who are arguably the best players in the world, has given me a real sense of where I stand in the game," he says with pride. "I played really well against them and it was a fantastic feeling. Of course, I may have taken my foot off the gas afterwards and indulged in some pina coladas, but it was worth it and I'm really pleased with my performance."
Kyren's next challenge will come at the Northern Ireland Open next week, where he will face David Grace in his opening match. But as he looks to add to his growing collection of titles, he can't help but feel a strong hunger for more success. And with his skills and determination, there's no doubt that he will continue to make waves in the world of snooker.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
